Table top and method of manufacturing same



E. H. WElL TABLE TOP AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME Filed March 1922 IIii-F I I I I I I I I I I I A:

vision of a simple,.cheap and efli-cient met 0d mean a. WEIL, orCLEVELAND, ,onro,

.QFFI E AssIGNon TO VI'TREOUS s'rnnn rnonuc'rs COMPANY, orcLEvnLANn,onro, A CORPORATIONQQF DELAWARE.

rABLE TO? .AND METHOD or manurecrunmo. sum

Application tiled March 2, 1922; Serial m. 549,609.

To all whom it mag/concern:

Be it known that .I, EDGAR H. WEIL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, in the county ofCuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented a certain new and useful n'1 rovement in Table Tops and Methodsof anufacturing Same, .of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description, reference being had to the accompan ing drawings. 1

y invention relates to improvements in sheet metal objects and theirmanufacture and more particularly it relates to table tops of theenameled sheet metal type such as used in kitchen cabinets, tables andthe like.

An object of my invention is the provision of a sheet metal table topwhich has a plane or flat surface and does not have bulges or bucklestherein, and comprises anovel method of removing such bulges or bucklesand holding such table tops flat, so that any-bulges or buckles that mayhave been therein are permanently removed.

Another object of the invention is the roof removing bulges and holdingflat the table tops in which buckles have appeared during the course ofmanufacture.

These and other objects of the invention which will be readily apparentto those skilled in the art are obtained by the method and constructionillustrated in the drawings;

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, I

Figure l isasection on line 1-1' Fig. 2.

Fig. 2' is a view of the top inverted with the spreading means in place.i

Fig. 3 is a plan View of thetable top.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged View partly in section showing one of the wedges.

In the manufacture of sheet metal table tops, particularly those toreceive an enamel coating, the tops are first formed in a ress with aflat surface surrounded by a dbwn turned flange or channel which mayform a continuous bead or -rib higher than the top proper around theperiphery of the top,

thus giving the effect of. a depressed top.

This flange or channel greatly strengthens the topas well as giving theappearance of thickness and avoids presentmg sharp meal edges on theoutside. Such stampings are then heated and enameled in the usual wayuntil suificient coatings of enamel expansion of the enamel and flange,and also to enable the to have been applied. It is during the enamelingoperation that table tops are frequently warped and buckled,i so thatthey do not have a flat surface. I it For 'enameling' it is necessary toheat the stampings to a relatively high tempera ture, which causesexpansion of the metal:

As coats of enamel are built upon the top,

it seems that strains are set up inthe metal, perhaps due to the unequalcoefficients of metal, so thatwhen the'top cools bulging or warpingoccurs, and the table top'does nothave a flat surface.-

It has been suggested that this bulging or Warping is due to strains set11 between the enamel and metal, caused by t e enamel not contracting asmuch as the metal upon cooling. This would seen to be true, forotherwise a slight stretching of the metal. would cause the enamel tocrack or scale.

Unless thefinished top be fiat, the user of the table is causedannoyance by having articles placed on the table slide around, or evenslide ofl" the table when it is wet and the bulge extends upwardly. Thisis because the smooth enamel surface has a very low angle of repose, andarticles, particularly wet ones, such as Wet dishes, are very apt toslide off the table to the floorand break. i I

It is customary" to insert awooden frame in the top and againsttheflange or' channel to somewhat strengthen this edge gr to e securedto its sup ort, whether 1t be a kitchen cabinet,ta le 'legs, or othersupporting means.

My invention consists in forcing apart opposite flanges of the enameledtop, -or preferably theopposite membersof such a frame as abovedescribedif one is used, and holding such members or flanges spread by suitablecross braces placed between them.

such different requirements in pressure, so that when pressure isapplied against the opposite sides of the frame the parts of the metalnot badly warped will not be unduly stretched, and yet even the largestbulges or buckles will be removed. The bead or rib is able to compensatefor this by reason of the fact that it will tend to straighten or haveits height decreased slightly before the metal at that portion of thetop will be unduly stretched. Such reduction in the bead, however,doesnot disfigure the top as it is not apparent to the e e. I

This operation does not add materially to the cost of manufacture.Moreover, it actually accomplishes quite a saving by enabling one to'userelatively thin gauge material for making an equally good andsufficiently strong table top, having a flat surface. The present use ofmuch heavier gauge material is not for the additional strength, but toprevent as far as possible the warping that occurs when the top isheated and enameled.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the enameled table top with its dependingflange 2, which may be ofv any suitable shape, but which ispreferablychannel shape as shown in the drawing. Formed in the top is anexpansible or compensating bead 2. The frame consists of sides 4 andends 5 fitted to the flange 2 and retainedthereby, and they are moreeasily retained when the flange is turned in so that it becomes channelshaped. The sides of the frame which are the membersusually I forcedapart are preferably grooved at 8 to receive cross members 9 which carryat their ends tongues 10. The spreading is done by one or moreturnbuckles, or other suitable spreading means such as cams orwedges(not shown), and may be carried on until the table top is perfectlyfiat. .The other members, that is the ends and cross pieces, are theninserted between the opposite sides of the frame members. Preferablysmall wedges 11 are inserted between the ends of the cross braces andthe frame members. after the spreading means has been operated and thetable top made flat. This insures that the braces will be sufficientlylong to hold the entire spread that is obtained and enables the operatorto quickly adjust the braces to any such length, rather than to carry alarge: stock of cross braces of different lengths to be precisely fittedbetween the side members.

The frame members may be securely fastened to each other after the crossbraces 0 are inserted, by any suitable fastening means such as screws,dowel pins, straps, etc.

liurthermore, it is to be understood that the particular'forms ofapparatus shown and described, and the particular procedure set forth,are presented for purposes of explanation and illustration and thatvarious modifications of said apparatus and procedure can be madewithout departing from my invention as defined in the appended claims.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. The process of removing bulges from enameled sheet metal objectshaving a body portion of substantial area which consists in forcingopposite sides'of the periphery of such object apart and inserting meansto hold such opposite sides in spread position.

2. The process of manufacturing enameled sheet metal objects having abody portion, a curved peripheral bead and a depending flange, whichconsists in forcing apart portions of the flange at opposite sides ofthe object and inserting means to permanently hold them in spreadposition, ghereby said body portion is substantially at. i

3. The process of manufacturing sheet metal objects which consists inenameling a sheet of metal, positioning parts of a frame adjacent toopposite portions of 'the periphery of such sheet, forcing such oppositeportions apartand inserting means to hold them in spread position,thereby'tensioning the metal and removing such bulges-as may have beenpresent after the enameling operation.

4. The process of manufacturing sheet metal objects havingv a peripheralcurved bead and depending flange, which consists in enameling such anobject with a vitreous enamel and inserting parts of a frame against theflange at opposite portions of the sheet, forcing such opposite portionsapart and inserting means to hold them in spread position.

5. The process of removing bulges from enameled sheet metal tabletopswhich consists in positioning members adjacent to opposite portions ofthe'periphery of such tops, forcing the members apart and insertingadditional members to hold them in spread position and complete an innerframe for supporting the top, thereby tensioning the metal and removingsuch bulges as may have been present after the enameling operation. i

6. The process of manufacturing enameled table tops which consists incoating a top member having a curved peripheral rib and a flange withenamel, baking the top, placing parts of a frame against the inner wallsof such flange at opposite sides of the top, forcing away from eachother such members apart, whereby frame parts and inserting additionalframe parts to permanently hold them in spread position.

I 7. The process of manufacturing sheet metal table tops which consistsin forming a stamping having a body portion, a peripheral expansiblebead and a peripheral flange, enameling it, inserting frame memberstherein which correspond to the shape of the peripheral flange, forcingopposite frame members apart, inserting cross braces and wedges to holdthe opposite members in spread position, and removing the spread: mgmeans.

8. An enameled sheet metal object having a body portion, frame memberspositioned adjacent to opposite sides of such body portion, and meanspermanently under compression to hold such frame is held substantiallyflat.

said body portion 9. An enameled sheet metal object having a bodyportion, a peripheral expansible bead and a peripheral flange, framemembers oppositely situated and fitting within said flange, andadditional frame, members permanently under compression to hold saidfirst mentioned frame members apart, whereby the body portion. of thesheet is held substantially flat.

10. A rectangular enameled sheet metal table 'top having a continuousperipheral flange with a turned in extremity, opposite v rame framemembers fitting in said flange, member-sand cross pieces permanentlyheld under compression between said opposite frame members to hold themapart, whereby the body portion of said table top is held substantiallyflat.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature. v EDGAR H. WEIL.

